[Edaily JAEMIN SONG Reporter Kim So-yeon] SamsungElectronics has blazed a trail never before taken by any South Korean company. Even after setting aside approximately 15–17 trillion won in provisions for special semiconductor performance bonuses, the company posted an operating profit of 89.4 trillion won for the second quarter of this year. Excluding these provisions, its actual operating profit is estimated to be around 106 trillion won. Analysts note that the memory chip boom, driven by expanded investment in artificial intelligence (AI), is fueling growth not only for SamsungElectronics but for the entire domestic industry.

SamsungElectronics announced on the 7th that, based on preliminary consolidated results for the second quarter of this year, it recorded revenue of 171 trillion won and operating profit of 89.4 trillion won. These figures exceed the market consensus—revenue of 173.8644 trillion won and operating profit of 85.0494 trillion won—as compiled by FnGuide Inc. The operating profit margin stood at 52%, up approximately 9 percentage points from the first quarter (43%). Considering that SamsungElectronics also operates low-margin finished goods businesses such as smartphones, TVs, and home appliances, an operating profit margin exceeding 50% is exceptionally high.

In particular, this quarter’s results reflect a provision for special management performance bonuses in the Semiconductor (DS) division. SamsungElectronics’ management and labor recently agreed to pay special management performance bonuses funded by 10.5% of the DS division’s operating profit. The industry estimates that a provision of around 17 trillion won—comprising approximately 6 trillion won for the first quarter (when negotiations were ongoing) and about 11 trillion won for the second quarter—was reflected in this quarter’s results. Excluding this, second-quarter operating profit amounts to approximately 106.5 trillion won. This means that the actual profit generated from operating activities has surpassed 100 trillion won in a single quarter for the first time in the history of South Korean companies. Even the operating profit of 89.4 trillion won disclosed today exceeds the cumulative operating profit (82.9 trillion won) that SamsungElectronics generated over the past three years, from 2023 through last year.

It is also overwhelmingly high compared to global companies. SamsungElectronics’ operating profit this quarter surpassed NVIDIA’s operating profit of $53.5 billion (approximately 82 trillion won) for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (February–April 2026). It also surpasses the all-time highest quarterly operating profits of other Big Tech companies, such as Apple (approximately 78 trillion won), Alphabet (approximately 60 trillion won), and Microsoft (approximately 58 trillion won). Excluding Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian state-owned oil company, it is considered to have recorded the highest level of profitability among global private tech companies.

The memory business is the primary driver of these record-breaking results. Following the world’s first mass production of HBM4—the sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM)—in February, SamsungElectronics rapidly expanded the share of high-value-added products by supplying 12-layer HBM4E samples to major customers in May. As competition to expand AI data centers intensifies, demand for AI server memory—including HBM, LPDDR5X, and LPDDR6—is surging. Prices for general-purpose memory have also soared to record highs. According to market research firm DRAMeXchange, the average fixed transaction price for 8Gb DDR4 memory for PCs reached $21 in June, marking the highest level since records began.

Forecasts from market research firm Counterpoint Research also reflect this trend. According to Counterpoint’s Memory Tracker, the average operating profit margin for major memory manufacturers—including SamsungElectronics’ DS division, SK hynix, and Micron—is expected to reach 75–80% in the second quarter. Micron, which was the first to report its earnings, posted an operating profit margin of 81%. Combined revenue for the three major memory companies—including SamsungElectronics and SK hynix—is projected to exceed 280 trillion won, and the total memory market size is expected to surpass 350 trillion won for the first time in history.

However, earnings in the Device eXperience (DX) division—which handles smartphones, TVs, and home appliances—slowed. This was due to soaring memory prices further eroding profitability, as Chinese competitors have nearly caught up with Korean firms in terms of competitiveness.

The market anticipates that the memory boom will continue into the second half of this year. According to FnGuide Inc., the consensus estimates for SamsungElectronics’ third quarter are revenue of 204 trillion won and operating profit in the 110 trillion won range. The market has already taken it for granted that quarterly operating profit will exceed 100 trillion won. The prevailing view is that the memory supply shortage will persist at least through next year as AI big tech companies continue to compete in data center investments. Kim Seon-woo, an analyst at Meritz Securities, predicted, “Memory supply will struggle to keep pace with the rate of demand growth until at least the fourth quarter of next year,” adding, “The strong earnings trend will continue even more explosively between the fourth quarter of this year and the second quarter of next year.”

SamsungElectronics did not disclose detailed earnings by business division on this day. The company plans to release revenue and operating profit figures for its DS and DX divisions through its official earnings announcement and conference call scheduled for the end of this month.